I am now on a two month countdown to my stem cell transplant. My stem cell harvest at the Transplant Center, Methodist—Houston Medical Center, was a success. Kathy stayed at the Marriott across from Methodist while I was hospitalized for the procedure. I’ll be honest, while not painful, it was not my cup of tea, since it felt invasive. The catheter placed in my leg/groin was something I wanted to pull out soon after the surgery was completed. I needed this done since my arm veins were not sufficient for the procedure, and the femoral artery was the only option left.

I had been told that it could take up to three days of five hour daily sessions to collect enough stem cells for the transplant. I was prepared from that possibility. My first session was in the late morning after the catheter had been placed and stitched in my leg. I had a private nurse who stayed with me the entire time. The lead doctor of the unit fully explained to me what would happen during the stem cell harvest. Lying flat on my back, they hooked me up to the fancy, high tech machine through which my blood would flow and the stem cells would be removed. Tubing on the exit side of the machine brought the cleaned blood back into my body. I noticed my nurse who was monitoring the tech screens was very busy. Later, a man appeared also working on the machine. About one and a half hours into the procedure a main doctor from the hospital and the head of technology appeared at my bedside and informed me the, obviously, very expensive machine had a technology failure! A new machine was going to be brought in, and I would be disconnected from the defective machine and reconnected to the new one. The stem cells already collected would need to be discarded! Apologies were profuse and sincere. My nurse was more than solicitous. So, the five hour session turned into seven hours. The good news—in spite of the lost stem cells, they still gathered enough for the stem cell transplant! All praise to God! The average gathered for a transplant is 3 million cells. My blood yielded 4.5 million! After a night in the hospital for monitoring, I was released and got home earlier than anticipated.

I now have a two month break to recoup strength. I will take drugs, oral and infusion, to keep the multiple myeloma in check until mid October. I will be drug free for our trip to Patagonia. I now begin light exercise at The Club at Bonterra exercise facility, as well as walking. In mid October Kathy and I are able to go on our planned Patagonia adventure. I look forward to the spring time weather while there and the refreshing air of the Andes. My body will be, God willing, refreshed and strengthened for the grueling stem cell transplant process beginning in early November.

For the blessings of this multiple myeloma journey from my diagnosis to the immunomonoclonal targeted therapy to the stem cell harvest, I praise God with this doxology that ends the New Testament book of Philippians: “Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

Praise Report: My blood yielded a healthy amount of usable stem cells for the coming transplant; they are now safely frozen and stored.

Prayer Request: For my body to regain the strength and stamina necessary for the stem cell transplant procedure in November.